Excessive bleeding can occur as a consequence of injury, surgery, inherited bleeding disorders, or bleeding disorders which are developed during certain illnesses (such as vitamin K deficiency, severe liver damage) or treatments (such as the use of anticoagulant drugs or prolonged use of antibiotics).
Some of the risks associated with bleeding disorders include scarring of the joints or joint disease, vision loss from bleeding into the eye, chronic anemia from blood loss, and death which may occur with large amounts of blood loss or bleeding in critical areas such as the brain.
Bleeding disorders result from an inability of the blood to clot. This inability is most commonly caused by a deficiency of blood coagulation factors. Other less common causes include a deficiency in blood platelets or a disorder in platelet function.
Hemophilia A is one of the most frequently occurring inherited coagulation disorders. Patients with hemophilia A are prone to frequent hemorrhages as a result of a deficiency in Factor VIII. Common treatments for people with bleeding disorders such as hemophilia A, include factor replacement therapy. This is the injection into the bloodstream of Factor VIII concentrates to prevent or control bleeding.
Factor replacement therapy can also be used to reduce postoperative bleeding in high risk surgical procedures. The main disadvantage of factor replacement therapy, however, is the increased risk of exposure to blood-borne infections such as hepatitis due to infusions of blood products.